Radiation Sickness
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 by Unknown
Radiation sickness is also called acute radiation sickness, acute radiation syndrome or radiation poisoning. Common exposures to low-dose radiation, such as X-ray or CT examinations, do not cause radiation sickness.
Radiation sickness is generally associated with acute (one large and single) exposure. Nausea and vomiting are usually the main symptoms. The amount of time between radiation exposure and the onset of initial symptoms may be an indicator of how much radiation is absorbed, because the symptoms appear earlier with higher doses of exposure. The symptoms of radiation sickness become more serious (and the chance of survival decreases) as the radiation dose increases. A few symptom-free days can pass between the onset of symptoms and the onset of symptoms of more severe disease associated with a higher radiation dose. Nausea and vomiting usually occur within 24-48 hours after exposure to mild (1-2 Sv) dose of radiation. Radiation damage to the lining of the intestinal tract that cause nausea, vomiting and bloody diarrhea. This exposure occurs when the victim is 200 rem (1 Sv = 100 rem) or more. Radiation is beginning to destroy the cells in the body that divide rapidly. These blood including gastrointestinal tract, reproductive cells and hair, and damage of DNA and RNA from surviving cells.
Headache, fatigue and weakness are also seen with mild exposure. Moderate (2 to 3.5 Sv of radiation) exposure is associated with the onset of nausea and vomiting within 12-24 hours after exposure. In addition to the symptoms of mild exposure, fever, hair loss, infections, vomiting blood and feces, and wound healing seen with moderate exposure. Nausea and vomiting in less than an hour after exposure to severe (3.5 to 5.5 Sv) dose of radiation, followed by diarrhea and high fever in addition to the symptoms of low levels of exposure. Very serious (5. 5. 8 Sv of radiation [citation needed]) is the exhibition followed by nausea and vomiting within 30 minutes, followed by dizziness, disorientation, and low blood pressure, in addition to the signs of lower exposure. Severe exposure is fatal about 50% of the time. See criticality accident for a number of incidents in which humans have been accidentally exposed to such levels of radiation.
Chronic exposure to radiation at doses below those that produce severe radiation sickness, can cause cancer in cell cycle genes are mutated. The probability of developing cancer is a function of radiation dose. In cancer radiation-induced disease, the rate at which the condition advances, the prognosis, the degree of pain, and all the other features of the disease are not functions of the dose of radiation to which the person is exposed.